​Armenia police regroup as Yerevan ‘electric protests’ charge up

Extra police units have been brought into central Yerevan to stave off growing crowds in the Armenian capital. The week-long mass protest, which organizers claim to be apolitical, is directed against the government’s move to increase electricity prices.

Up to 20,000 people were singing, dancing and waving Armenian
tricolors just hundreds of yards from the presidential palace on
Friday night, but tension at the daily demonstrations, which have
been going on for more than a week, have been growing.

Throughout the day
police have been protecting government buildings and stopping
splinter groups from marching to other parts of the city, forcing
demonstrators into a single large gathering. On Friday evening
several hundred more riot police were deployed to the area amid
reports of protesters’ attempts to block nearby streets.

Protesters have slung accusations of corruption at their own
government but say they are not looking to overthrow their
leadership. One prominent banner at the demonstration read
“This is Baghramian [the name of the street where protesters
have gathered] not Maidan” – the name of the square where
Ukrainian protests eventually toppled Viktor Yanukovich 18 months
ago.

Meanwhile the Armenian president, according to his press service,
noted on Friday that there were no “anti-Russian
sentiments” at the protest, and that the activists
themselves “prove the absurdity of these assumptions.”
He acknowledged the earnest discontent of the people, but
insisted the hikes were inevitable due to high inflation and
rising generation costs.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian promised relief for
105,000 of the poorest families in the country of 3 million
people, but said the government had no plans to reverse the
increases, which come into force on August 1.

Alongside the freezing of electricity tariffs, protesters are
demanding that the use of force by police officers earlier this
week be investigated. However, the demonstrators rejected two
offers of direct meetings with president Serzh Sargsyan, saying
they do not want a compromise solution.